


Voices in Our Heads (Visions in Our Minds)

by Angie_Is_Alive



Series: The Dragon Prince (Sense8 AU) [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: A LOT OF DIALOGUE, Alternate Universe - Sense8 (TV) Fusion, Cluster Love (Sense8), Don't Have to Know Sense8 Canon, Ethari loves making new friends, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Not Beta Read, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Psychic Bond, Runaan doesnt like this, Sensate Cluster(s), Soulmates, Tiadrin and Runaan are a little arrogant, Young Runaan (The Dragon Prince), everyone is confused, sliglty diffrent lore though, sorry - Freeform, they are teenagers, will add characters as i go one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:22:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23910778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angie_Is_Alive/pseuds/Angie_Is_Alive
Summary: "You have one second to tell me who are you and what are you doing here before I slit your throat," he warned, getting his knife out and holding it threateningly towards the intruder.The boy held up his hands in surrender, surprised but not scared. "Wow, wow, wow, wow. I swear to the moon, mate, I have no idea how I got here."___In the depths of the Moonshadow territory, a new cluster is born. They are not just themselves anymore, they are connected by an ancient force that binds them together. They have been reborn.And to think that all of that started with a simple headache.
Relationships: Ethari & Lain & Runaan & Tiadrin (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Lain & Runaan & Tiadrin (The Dragon Prince), Lain/Tiadrin (The Dragon Prince)
Series: The Dragon Prince (Sense8 AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1723492
Comments: 32
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my sense8 AU!  
> If you don't know what sensates are, here is the definition.  
> ''Sensates, or Homo sensoriums, are a species of humans that are telepathically connected to each other. Every sensate is part of a group or cluster of sensates and members of a cluster can connect and communicate with each other wherever they are in the world.''  
> A lot of it will be explained and slightly altered to fit the Dragon Prince Universe.
> 
> Enjoy :)

Runaan had a headache. It wasn't that unusual, he usually suffered headaches after long hours of training. This shouldn't have been different. But it was. It seemed more… insistent. And no matter what remedies and herbs he tried, it wouldn't stop pounding his head. Like a Sunfire hammer was trapped inside his skull and was trying to pounds its way out. 

It wasn't long until the headache turned into a migraine and he began to lose his focus. 

Two days later, the visions started. 

* * *

Runaan was in the middle of a fight the first time he saw him. 

_A ghost._

_A very beautiful, very attractive ghost._

  
  


He was standing there, between two large trees. His eyes were wide in shock, his mouth had fallen open in a silent oh. 

He got distracted. Of course he did. 

His opponent knocked him down and Rahim, one of his instructors called it off. 

"What's off with you?" He asked. " You're usually the one wiping the floor with my best trainees, you're distracted."

"I.. " Runaan started but didn't know what to say. Rahim was right, his fighting skills were off and so was his reaction time. "I have a headache," he finished lamely. 

He expected Rahim to yell at him, to tell him that an assassin wasn't supposed to leave trivial things like that get in his way. But the older man just patted Runaan in the back and send him home to mediate the headache away. 

Like he hadn't tried that already. _Several times._

Runaan sighting and reluctantly made his way home, debating if it would be best if he had stayed and insisted that he was fine. 

Missing one training session wouldn't hurt, he decided. It was very unlike him but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to collapse in his bed and never wake up again. 

"Nice house," said a boyish voice behind me. Runaan jumped, surprised. 

_Am I really that off that I didn't hear this strange boy sneaking up on me?_

Runaan rubbed his eyes. The boy was tall, with messy, white hair like all moonshadows and deep caramel eyes. It wasn't the same boy from the woods. 

"You have one second to tell me who are you and what are you doing here before I slip your throat," he warned, getting his knife out and holding it threateningly towards the intruder. 

The boy held up his hands in surrender, surprised but not scared. "Wow, wow, wow, wow. I swear to the moon, mate, I have no idea how I got here."

He looked to be about Runaan's age. And there was something very familiar about him. Runaan just couldn't pinpoint what that was. Did he know him? He surely must. The Moonshine wasn't that big of a village, he must have seen the boy _somewhere_. Then again, Runaan wasn't really the social type. 

"What do you mean you have no idea? This is my house, get out!" 

The next few seconds were very confusing. 

Runaan saw the boy make for the door, touch the handle, pull. But when the door opened he was the one being outside. 

Runaan blinked. When did he-? How-? 

This was weird. 

He felt like he was about to fall over, his headache getting even stronger. He turned around and froze. 

"I'm losing my mind," he whispered, for he was no longer standing in his living room, but in what looked to be another teenager's bedroom. 

"Now, who’s the one trespassing?" Asked the same voice from before. He was sitting in his bed, legs crossed. Runaan felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

“Come now, calm down, mate. I don’t know who is playing this awful trick on us but we’ll figure it out,” the boy tried to...reassure him?

Runaan focussed on his breathing, in and out. He could do this. He was an assassin to be. This was nothing.

“Who are you?’’ he asked, once he was sure his voice wouldn’t tremble. He would never admit it out loud, but the thought that he was losing it was freaking him out. Runaan was so used to being in control. Even during training. He always knew what to do, how to adapt. That’s what would one day make him a good assassin, a good leader. Now he felt like he was falling down a never-ending spiral and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“My name’s Lain. I’m from the Shadowshire,” the boy explained, ‘’ and you are?’’

“I’m Runaan of the Moonshine. I’m an assassin,’’ he said the last part was technically a lie. He wasn’t an assassin _yet_. He was still in training. The other boy seemed to catch on it, but he didn’t make a comment. 

‘’ And what do you think is happening, to us?’’ Lain asked, fidgeting with his hands.

“ Somone’s playing a very _unfunny_ prank on us, probably,’’ Runnan said, a little unconvinced himself. “ How do I even know you’re real?!’’ he said accusingly. 

“How do _I_ even know _you’re_ real?’’ The other boy - _Lain -_ shot back.

Runaan seemed to think on it for a moment. “Fair point,’’ he said at last.

“I mean,’’ Lain started and Runaan felt a sudden touch to his left shoulder, “you certainly feel real..” They were both standing by the door now.

Runaan jumped again, mentally cursing himself for how he had suddenly forgotten all of his assassin’s training. 

“ Illusions aren’t supposed to feel that way, are they?’’ Runaan hesitantly asked, moving to put both of his hands on the other boy’s biceps. It felt… natural. Like he had done that before a million times. Like he has known Lain all of his life. He shook his head. 

They looked in each other’s eyes for a while. Trying to figure out if they really knew each other or at have least met before. Runaan found nothing. He was sure he hadn’t seen the boy before in his life. He said he was from the Shadowside. Runaan had heard of that place, but he had never gone there himself. He could ask Lain if he had ever visited the Moonshine but he felt like he already knew the answer. Runaan and Lain lived miles apart, they had very different lives. But somehow, it felt like they were tied together by an invisible force. Like talking to him was the most natural thing he had ever done, even if he wasn’t that good with people.

The sound of the front door opening pulled him back in reality. Runaan was standing in the middle of his living room once again. Lain was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other clusters that won't be appearing in this fic but I might write about are:
> 
> -Gren and Amaya (For this to work I aged up Gren a little and aged down Amaya so their ages meet somewhere in the middle but I couldn't not make them platonic soulmates)
> 
> -Viren, Sarai and Harrow (it also explain why Viren went downhill after their deaths)
> 
> -Rayla and Callum (cause hell yeah)
> 
> -Lujanne (unknown cluster)
> 
> -Queen Khessa (unknown cluster)
> 
> -Aaravos (He insists that he was born without a cluster but it is believed by the Elves that he just killed them all)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lain is impressed. Tiadrin, on the other hand, is not.

Lain was pacing in his room. 

He walked over to the door, turned around, walked over to the bed, sat down, got up again and repeated the same thing for another five minutes. He couldn't decipher the emotions that came over his being nor the thoughts that ran through his head in the speed of a thousand moonstriders. The fact that his head felt like his brain was trying to escape his skull via his eye sockets wasn't helping either. 

_ Who was that guy? Why did it feel like I knew him?  _

Runnan had said he was from the Moonshine and that he was an assassin. Lain didn't know  _ any  _ assassins. And he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to. They were honorable and respectful warriors, but he had heard that they were kinda stuck up. And no more than ten minutes ago, he had one of them in his room. He hadn't come to assassinate him, right? No, of course not. 

The boy seemed confused. And he was two young to be sent on a mission on his own anyway. Most importantly, Lain was training to become a Dragonguard, an Elite Fighter. He could very well hold his own in a fight. 

"By the Moon, Kovu! Move your legs, come on! " 

Lain jumped at the female voice coming from his bathroom. Only that when he opened it, it was no longer his bathroom but a training ring. In it there were two people, both his age. A tall muscular boy and a short  _ very angry  _ girl. 

She didn't seem to acknowledge him and just continued to beat the Moon out of her opponent. Not stopping a second to look at his direction. Lain was in awe. 

When she finally took pity on her opponent – Kovu – she turned her gaze on him. 

"What are you doing here? You wanna have some?" she said, getting into a fighting stance. Lain was compelled to say yes. Moon above, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. 

"Who are you talking to, Tia?" Kovu asked. The girl's head suddenly snapped at his direction, her eyes Sunfire daggers, despite their turquoise colour. So many hues, Lain could have drowned in them. 

"Alright, alright," said the girl's friend, holding his hands up to protect himself from the girl's punches, "I'm sorry!"

The girl – who apparently didn't enjoy being called 'Tia' – stopped assaulting the already beaten up guy and instead fixed him with a cold gaze. 

"Seriously, though, who were you talking to? There's no one there," Kovu gestured to his direction. But he was standing right there, next to them, why couldn't the boy see him? And most importantly, why could she? 

The girl looks at him confused and the back at her friend. She repeated the action a few times. "Are you kidding with me? He's standing right there! Tall with a very weird haircut?" Lain contemplated if he should have been offended. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe you need some rest?" The boy offered. 

"Don't tell me what I need and don't need. I'm fine!" The girl yelled and strode passed him. Lain couldn't help but follow her. 

The girl pretended not to notice until she was somewhere that looked like a locker room. As soon as the wooden door was closed, she grabbed him by the colar and pushed him against the wall. 

"What kind of game are you playing?!" She demanded. 

"I- What? Nothing! I don't know! " He stuttered. He did that when he was nervous.  _ Why was he nervous?  _ This wasn't his fault. He was as lost as the rest of them. 

"What kind of spell are you using?! It must be pretty strong if Kovu can't she through it. What is it?!" She pushed him harder against the wall. An 'oof' escaped his lips. 

"What do you want, woman?! I said I don't know!" He tried to push her away but the girl's grip held firm. 

"I want you to tell me who you are and why are you stalking me!" The girl demanded, her grip becoming stronger and stronger. He could smell her breath from that distance, mooncakes and moonberry wine. She herself smelled of sweat with the distant smell of roses. 

"What?! I'm not stalking you! I don't even know how I got here! The one minute I was in my room playing with my ball, the other other I was in a strange guy's living room and now I'm here!" At that the girl finally let him go. 

"You- You mean you see stuff too?" The girl asked, hesitantly. 

"Yeah.. Weird kinds of stuff.. Like- Like things and feelings and places and-"

"And you have a horrible headache." The girl looked like she came into a terrible realization. She took a few steps behind but remained in a fighting stance, her eyes focused. She radiated 'don't challenge me' energy. Lain was not planning to. Not in a serious matter at least. 

"Umm, yeah, how do you know?" Lain asked, confused. 

"I've been having this terrible migraine the past few days," she admitted, scratching her hand. She seemed to realize a moment later that she had let her guard down and immediately locked her hands to her sides in fists. 

They stood there, staring at the floor instead of each other. Lain finally had the time to observe his surroundings. It was indeed a locker room. Towels, hair brushes and clothes were scattered everywhere. And in the far corner, there were several buckets and what looked like soap. 

"So, what's your name?" The girl asked out of a sudden. It sounded more like a demand than a question. 

"It's Lain. I'm from the Shadowsire and I'm training to be a guard." 

"Really? Me too. Only that I'm from the City of Luna Tenebris. Its a big Moonshadow city, I'm sure you've heard of it. My name's Tiadrin, by the way". 

_ So, 'Tia' was short for 'Tiadrin', huh?  _

"Don't you  _ dare _ call me 'Tia'! You saw what happened to the last one that did that," she warned and Lain nodded. He wasn't planning to anyway. He liked 'Tiadrin'. It seemed like a weird name at first but it felt  _ perfect _ for her. 

An imagine crept into his mind, of them walking along together. They were holding hands,under the light of the full moon, and he whispered secrets into her ear, his voice blending with the birds and the bugs in the forest.  _ Tiadirn.  _

He quickly pushed the weird thought out of his head. But it didn't feel like just a weird fantasy or even a dream. It felt like a memory. Like that's how things were supposed to be. Like that's how things always were. 

But he didn't  _ know her.  _ And he didn't know Runaan. Then how did it feel like he did? What was going on with him? Was he actually starting to lose his mind? Was Runaan right about this being a prank? Was Runaan even  _ real?!  _

He suddenly felt dizzy. 

"Hey, you okay?" 

"Yeah, if you ignore the fact that I'm totally crazy, I'm fine. Better than ever actually!" He sassed at her but immediately regretted it. It wasn't her fault after all. Or was it? Was she part of the trick too? 

"Don't sass me," she said in a threatening tone and he nodded again. They stared at each other, her eyes pierced into his like a thousand icicles. 

"I- I should probably get going," he turned to go but the moment he opened the door, he was still in the girl's break room. 

"Don't look at me, you're the one that appeared out of the Blue Moon," she crossed her arms, " you should know how to get back to the wherever you came from."

"I don't even know how I got here," he admitted and sat down on a wooden bench. "One minute I'm in my room back at the Shadowsire and the other I'm here!"

"Yes, you already said that."

Silence again. Lain tried to concentrate on his room. Nothing. What broke the connection the first time? Runaan had just disappeared after a sudden noise. Maybe he should try to surprise himself too? 

"That would never work, idiot." Tiadrin said, exasperated. "How are you even gonna surprise yourself? It doesn't make any sense."

"How did you know what I was thinking?!" His hands immediately flew up to grab his head "Are you reading my mind?!"

"Um, no? You we're talking outloud." 

_ Was I? How did I not notice? _

"Tiadrin!" Someone knocked on the door abruptly, " What are you doing in there? Come on!" He recognized the voice as the boy of before. 

"Comin'," she yelled back at him and the turned to look at Lain accusingly. Lain just stared. "Turn around so l can change," she clarified and he felt his face getting as red a ripe moonberry. He nodded nervously and do just that. He kept his eyes on the wall for at least five minutes, counting the crack in the stone. He tried to concentrate again into going back to his room but it was no good. He was stuck. Tiadrin gently touched him on the shoulder. 

"I guess you have to come with me now, huh?" 

"Well, don't sound so disappointed.." He murmured. 

"Just- don't make noise and don't touch anything," she instructed and gestured him towards the door. Lain made some hesitant steps, his mind racing. Would he just be stuck with her for the rest of his life? Would he be invincible forever? He took some calming breaths before he overwhelmed himself and stepped through the door after her. 

He blinked. 

He was no longer in the training ring. He was back in his room. He looked around worryingly, scanning the room. Everything seemed to be in place. His desk was covered with the usually school books, notes were scattered everywhere and his wardrobe was half open with several clothes and leathers falling to the ground. Everything was under the ordinary and he was alone. Tiadrin was nowhere to be found. Had he imagined her too? 

Lain let out a sigh of relief at the view of his own room. He was home. It was over. 

He collapsed over to the bed, burying himself in pillows. He was done with everything for the day. As he fell into a deep sleep, he tried to chase the thought of Tiadrin away. He wasn't successful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter. This is my second fix and English is not my first language. I would really appreciate it if you left kudos and told me your opinions in the comments. Constructive criticism is most welcomeed. I always try to get better at what I do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Runaan tries to keep his cool. He also meets a cute boy.]

After hours and hours of meditating on his favourite rock, Runaan came to the decision that his best course of action was to just keep his cool. 

There were numerous ways that he could explain the situation. Maybe he just had two many moonberries. Or maybe the spirits were trying to communicate with him. Or maybe one of the herbs he used to calm down his headache had side effects that the person who sold them to him conveniently forgot to mention. 

Whatever it was, there was a natural explanation. Runaan was nothing if not adaptable. He would figure this out. 

He was already feeling better. The headache had subsided and he hadn't seen any visions all day. He was back and running in the training grounds like nothing weird had happened at all. 

That was until he saw  _ him  _ again. 

The ghost, who would soon turn out to not be a ghost, but a boy, just like him. 

He didn't seem to notice him this time. He looked like he was tinkering with something. 

Runaan narrowed his eyes to see what the boy was holding and was so excited about and out of a sudden, he was standing in what looked like a workshop. 

"No, not again!" The boy shouted and almost through the object in his hands. From that distance, Runaan could clearly see that it was some sort of pendant, with a shining runestone in the middle. He got the urge to get closer. 

He watched him work for a little bit. Tinkering with the runestone and getting it the shape he wanted it to be. 

"That's lovely," he decided to break the silence. He didn't know what boy this was or what was happening. But he would never find out by just standing there like a creep. 

The boy sprung from his seat, holding his hand to his chest, the pendant left forgotten on the worktable. He stopped to take some calming breaths.  _ In and out.  _ Then, he slowly turned towards him. 

"Wh- who are you?" His voice was trembling. Runaan felt kind if overwhelmed himself. 

_ We are all having the same reactions,  _ he realized,  _ are we really all just being pranked?  _

The boy's terror surely seemed natural. He looked around like he was looking for a weapon, but he remained frozen in place. 

"Look," Runaan started, "I'm just as confused as you are but I'm  _ sure  _ that if we all just  _ calm down,  _ will be able to figure this out," he was trying to reassure the boy, but he just looked like he was about to have a panic attack. Runaan haven't felt so many emotions all at the same time in years. He wasn't sure if they were his or the other boy's panic could somehow creep into his own mind too. 

"Wh-What do you mean?" The boy asked again, calmer this time. 

"Do you.. Happen to have a headache? Or had a headache, a few days ago?" The boy jolted, moving to grab a hammer from behind him and holding it protectively between him and Runaan. 

"How do you know that?!" He asked with surprising force. 

"I- I had one too," Runaan explained, "and I'm feeling things that I'm not supposed to feel and seeing visions of you and some other guy." He said the last part a little too quickly.  _ He needed to calm down.  _

The other boy was silent for a while. Runaan took that time to examine his surroundings. They were definitely is a workshop. There were a table and a chair and numerous tools that Runaan couldn't identify. And a few meters away, there was a forge. One that the boy that stood before him wasn't supposed to use, apparently, judging by the big piece of wood that was hammered on the wall near it reading 'Ethari, stay away from the forge'. It was carved out elegantly, by someone who clearly had experienced being a craftsman, therefore able to use the forge.  _ I bet Ethari is dying to use it one day.  _ He didn't know where that thought came from, but he somehow knew it to be true. 

"I ate a whole Moonberrie cake yesterday!" The boy blurted. Runaan was startled by the unexpected confession, but he gathered himself up quickly. He just looked at him, confused. 

_ Was this some sort of conversation starter? _ Runaan was never good with words, he wouldn't know.  _ But weren't they conversing already?  _

"I- I'm not supposed to eat sweets before bed. My healers advice against it. But yesterday, I had that overwhelming craving for a Moonberry cake and I couldn't shake it off," the boy started explaining, looking guilty, "So I asked the baker to give me one in exchange for a Moonstone pendant. I'm a craftsman, or I will be in a few years. Pendants usually come easy, but this one just won't behave!" 

Runaan felt frustrated, he didn't know why. This wasn't his problem. But for a moment he felt like he was the one who had spent hours tinkering in this shop. Like he was the one that had made a deal he couldn't keep. 

"Don't worry, Ethari, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Maybe you just need to choose a softer metal, " Runaan offered, although he didn't know anything about craftsmanship and metalwork. 

"I- How do you know my name?" The boy asked, surprised. 

"What?"

"My name, its Ethari, but I never told you that. Have we met somewhere before? It surely feels like we have," he sat back on his chair, seeming more relaxed. 

_ Ethari. It suited him perfectly. He may have never met the boy before, but now he couldn't imagine him having any other name. This was Ethari, he lived in the Silvergrove and he was an apprentice to the local craftsman.  _

But how in the Moon's name did he know that?! 

"If I say that this whole situation is weird, will I sound cliche?" He asked, desperation creeping into his voice. 

"No," Ethari rubbed his hands to his temples, " Because it is weird. And I think my headache is coming back."

He didn't know what to respond to that and he wasn't comfortable just staring at the boy like some creep. He didn't know how to go back to the Moonshine either. 

"Runaan," he said eventually. 

"What?" Ethari asked, confused once again. 

"My name," he explained," Its Runaan."

"Nice to meet you, Runaan!" Ethari smiled up at him. A beautiful, kind smile. Runaan was lost for a moment. He never had anyone smile at him like that. 

He opened his mouth to say something but he was knocked down on the ground before a word could leave his lips. 

"What the-?" He exclaimed. 

"You were just standing there, staring at nothing for a whole ten minutes," Loralai, a girl from his training program came into focus. She was standing right above him, looking and him with big worried eyes. She was older but at least one head shorter than him. How is Garlath's name was she able to knock him off his feet?

"Moon to Runaan? Are you okay? Do you want me to escort you to the healers?" She asked, a little too condescendingly for Runaan's taste. 

"Thank you for your politeness," he said sarcastically as he got up and dusted himself off, "but I'm fine now." 

The girl just nodded and ran off, continuing with her training exercises. 

Runaan had missed ten whole minutes of warm-up. His father would be furious if he found out. He ran along with the rest of the team and managed to do as much as he could to catch up with them before the instructor came back. 

Runaan won all five matches he was in that day. But there was no change. He was not better or worse than he had been in the last few weeks. Rahim told him that he would have to speak with his father about the lack of improvement. 

Runaan knew then that his life was about to become much, much harder. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo, Runaan and Ethari finally meet. How do you like the story so far?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [A member of the cluster finds themselves in trouble. Another's protective instincts kick in.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains mentions of child abuse.

Tiadrin couldn’t sleep. 

Not with all that noise coming from downstairs. It seemed like two people yelling at each other but she was still fuzzy from a restless sleep and couldn’t make out what they were saying.  _ Were her sisters fighting again?  _

They usually didn’t make a fuss that late in the night, they knew she had training in the morning. She needed her rest. 

Tiadrin let out an annoyed groan and covered her head with her pillow. It was no use. The shouting kept becoming louder and louder until she felt like they were right on top of her, screaming mercilessly. The voices were not female. Her sisters had the night watch. She lived in a ground floor, there was no downstairs. 

“I’m sorry! I don’t know what is happening to me, I swear I’ll do better!’’

Tiadrin jumped out of bed.

She was in a treehouse, in what looked like a living room. Only that instead of portraits and paintings, all sorts of weapons decorated the walls. There was also a couch, some chairs and a table but the room was otherwise bare. In the middle of it, stood a father and a son and they both looked furious beyond measure. Tiadrin was suddenly very scared.

“Well, clearly you aren’t trying  _ hard enough!’’  _ The father accused in a much calmer voice.  _ The calm before the storm? But wasn’t the storm already there? _

She wanted to yell at the boy, to warn him, to tell him to get out of there. But the boy stood his ground, tightened his fist and fixed his father with a cold gaze. His eyes reminded her of her own. Turquoise. Her older sister, Mira, had called them the colour of the sea as it blends with the sky. They were he mother’s eyes, only sharper. She tried to push the thought of her mother’s soft eyes out of her head and focused instead on the scene that was playing in front of her. 

“What would  _ you know?  _ No matter all your hard training, you couldn’t save anyone. You couldn’t save  _ her,’’  _ his voice was dripping venom. An instance of sock passed through his father’s eyes, but the boy continued, without mercy. _ “ _ You failed. Miserably.  _ Maybe you were not trying hard enough! _ ’’ he yelled the last part. 

The father’s eyes turned ice cold. Much colder and terrifying than his young counterpart. For a moment, he looked like he was about to hit him. The boy took a breath, steadying himself, getting ready for impact. Tiadrin held her own breath, afraid of making any sound at all. 

The older figure raised his hand, the impact never came. The boy flinched anyway. 

Tiadrin felt like she was about to cry. 

“Go to your room,  _ my son.  _ Before I  _ beat you shitless’’  _ he warned in a whisper, giving the boy time to avoid the storm. This time she didn’t waste any time. She grabbed the boy by the hand and pulled him towards what she somehow knew to be his room. She knew there was no way the boy would apologize. There was no reason for him to stay there and make things worse. They walked up the stairs, slowly. Her hand was still in his, squeezing it supportingly. 

She didn’t know this boy. But she had to protect him.  _ She had to.  _ She couldn’t explain why, but she had to. He didn’t seem surprised by her presence. He didn’t even try to pull his hand away. He just stared into the eyes of his father and could drive his gaze away. 

Tiadrin closed the door and made to sit on the bed. It was a plain room, just like the living room with a big bed and a desk and all sorts of weapons scattered around. It looked nothing like her own room. Everything was put away neatly. There was also a wardrobe, full of greens and blues and teals. It was a simple room but luxurious. And even if there weren’t many personal belongings, it could tell her a lot about her new friend’s personality. 

“I don’t spend a lot of time in here,’’ he explained. “Only when I’m sleeping or need a quiet’” place to meditate and my father int home.’’

“Do you want to meditate now?’’ She asked and got ready to leave, even if she didn’t know how.

“No,” he sat on the bed next to her. “ I’m not really in the mood. What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know,’’ she admitted. “It just seemed like you needed my help.’’

“I’m fine,” he insisted, “ But I could surely do without having to deal with all these shit,’’ he gestured vaguely around.

“Ηey, don’t look at me, I’m just as lost as the rest of you.’’ she half-joked.

“So, you’ve met with the other’s?’’ he asked, crossing his legs.

“I’ve met Lain,’’ she couldn’t help but smile and the memory but she didn’t know why,” He was cool, I guess. How many of us are there?’’ 

“Four, I think. There’s you and me. And then there’s Lain and some other boy, Ethari. He’s a craftsman.’’ 

“There better only be us, four. There’s only so much I can handle.’’ She joked again, getting the tiniest of smiles out of Runaan. Joking with him felt like regular past time. Something that she had done countless times before.

_ I guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore. In a way, I do know these people.  _

"So, Ethari huh?" She asked teasingly. She knew deep down that she felt the same way about Lain. A deeper connection. A desire. 

One that she didn't feel for the person sitting beside her. But that didn't make their connection any less overwhelming. He looked away, blushing. Something told her that he didn't do that often. 

"I think I… like him," he said, "I don't know, it’s weird." 

"It is." She agreed. "I'm Tiadrin, by the way, I don't think we properly introduced ourselves." She extended her hand. 

"I'm Runaan," he said, accepting it and squeezing gently. 

"I know." She blurted without thinking. "I don't know how, but I know."

"Wow," Runaan exclaimed. "This  _ is  _ weird."

They didn't talk much after that. They didn't need to. Tiadrin usually hated the silence. She was a loudmouth, she couldn't just sit there and say nothing. That would be awkward. But it wasn't. Not with Runaan, at least. He seemed to thrive in the silence, he didn't really need it to communicate. He did that with his hands and with his eyes. No need for words. 

And they sat, a boy and a girl, miles apart but still closer than ever. Their fingers interlocked. Tiadrin knew she should be sleeping, she had training in the morning and so did Runaan. But she liked Runaan's silence and the feeling of his hand in hers. 

They both needed it. She didn't go back to her room for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ι gave Runaan an abusive father because I like making my favourite characters suffer. I am sorry.  
> Tiadrin may be the youngest sister but she has the best mom instincts. Runaan kinda needs it right now..  
> Anyway, hope you liked the chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Ethari gets to use the Forge. Lain just wants some much-needed sleep.]

Ethari couldn’t stop pounding his hammer. Who could blame him, really? It was the first time after years that he was all allowed to use the forge on his own! He was working on a pair of daggers, a pretty easy task considering his years of training. Ethari couldn’t care though, he was just happy that he was finally able to truly put his skills in use.

“Excuse me,’’ Ethari was startled by the foreign voice. If it wasn’t for the fireproof runes he had sewn on his sleeves, he was sure he would have burned himself. “Could you  _ please  _ keep it down?’’ 

Ethari turned towards the voice slowly.  _ Of course,  _ he thought.  _ I should have been used to this by now. _

The boy that stood before him was a few inches shorter than him. He was a Moonshadow like him, with pale, purple-tinted skin and light brown eyes. Ethari was actually surprised that he had found an elf with messier hair than his. 

“You’re not Runaan.’’ Ethari surprised himself by how disappointed he sounded..  _ Was I seriously expecting someone else? _

Weird-hair-guy raised an eyebrow. “Obviously,’’ he said with a tint of sarcasm.

“Who are you then?’’ Ethari sounded annoyed. He was almost never annoyed. Mostly because he never let anything trivial get him down. But he was annoyed with the guy before him. And he was annoyed with Runaan, for disappearing without a word. And most of all, he was annoyed with himself for missing him so badly. 

‘’Name’s Lain,’’ annoying-guy said. “And now that we introduced ourselves,’’ he continued a little too bitterly, “ _ Can you please keep it down _ ?’’

Ethari’s first instinct was to immediately apologize. It was indeed too late in the night. People that lived near the Forge would be right to complain about the noise. This boy, though,  _ did not  _ live near the forge. He didn’t even live in the Silvergrove as far as Ethari knew. And Ethari knew  _ everyone _ in his small village.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves,’’ Ethari said instead. “I never told you my name.”

Lain had the audacity to look annoyed. Taking a closer look at him, Ethari could tell by the giant bags under his eyes that he was sleep-deprived. Ethari suddenly felt exhausted himself. 

“Sorry,’’ he said apologetically. “I’m just really tired , and I can see that you are too, I’ll stop now.’’

Lain’s scowl softened. “I’m sorry too,’’ he scratched the back of his neck, “It’s just- I have training in the morning, is all’’

Ethari sent him an apologetic smile. “What sort of training?’’ he asked, curious.

“I’ll tell you,” the other boy teased, “ _ After  _ you tell me your name’’

Ethari pretended to think about it. As if he hadn’t offered to give him his name just a minute ago. “ It’s Ethari,’’ he said after a moment. 

“Nice to meet you, Ethari,’’ the guy extended his hand, “ I know it’s kind of a weird introduction. But everything that is going on these days is.’’

“What  _ is  _ going on?’’ Ethari asked. “You’re not the first hot guy to appear out of nowhere.’’

“Hot guy, huh?’’ Lain teased. Ethari felt himself going red. “So you’ve met Runaan,’’ he concluded. “What about Tiadrin?’’

“Who? There’s more of us?’’ He somehow wasn’t appaled by the idea.

‘’ Only four, as far as I know.’’ Lain went to sit down on a nearby chair. He looked terrible. He obviously needed sleep. Ethari felt guilty about keeping him up, but then again, he wasn’t the one appearing in his room out of nowhere and demanding things.

“You’ve never told me,’’ Ethari begun, sitting down himself, “What kind of training?’’

“Warrior’s training. You know, the usual. I’m gonna become a guard one day.’’ Lain sounded confident. Why wouldn’t he be? He was tall, lean but muscular and he had a weird kind of protective energy coming off of him. He would do anything to protect the people he loved. Ethari was sure he would make a fine guard one day. He thought about telling him that. But Lain smiled at him knowingly, as if he had somehow heard his thoughts. Maybe he had. 

_ Who knows, with everything that’s going on? Mind readers would be the last check on the weird list Ethari was internally keeping. _

“Soooo,’’ Lain started, “It’s getting pretty late. We should probably go to bed.’’

“Yeah. . .’’ Ethari agreed. 

“Hey, check this out,” Ethari didn’t feel the earth sift around him. He didn’t feel anything. He just blinked and he was in an entirely different room. “I’m getting better at this,’’ said Lain with a goofy smile.

“Wow,’’ Ethari exclaimed, genuinely impressed. He was in what seemed to be Lain’s room. It was the first time he noticed that Lain was in his sleeping garments. Ethari could feel the soft fabric on his skin too. He could also feel the change in temperature. It was way cooler than the forge. And he could smell the petrichor after a rainy day. He wasn’t physically in the room but  _ Lain _ was. He could feel what  _ Lain _ was feeling.

He had heard of this before. Or read it somewhere in a book. He wasn't sure. But all of this feeling and visiting and understanding each other's thoughts without having to say anything out loud, felt somehow familiar. He didn't feel any differently himself, everything was just more intense since the headache started. Just like in his books.  _ It all starts with a headache,  _ he remembered,  _ then you are no longer just you.  _

“I think I’m starting to understand this too,’’ he whispered in awe. 

“Care to share with the rest of the class?’’ Lain inquired, unable to keep the yawn out of his voice. For a moment, Ethari was scared that the boy would keel over. 

“Another time,’’ Ethari promised. “Go get some sleep.’’

Lain was about to argue but the scenery had already changed around Ethari and he was no longer in it. Ethari knew that he was too stubborn to leave it for later. So Ethari had taken things into his own hands, forcing his new friend to get his much-needed sleep. He smiled to himself. 

_ You’re not the only one that’s getting the hang of this. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Runaan does a little investigation. He also gets help from an unexpected visitor.]

Runaan strode with confidence along the stone covered path. With his hands hidden in his fists and his chin held high –like any proper Moonshadow assassin– he scanned the path in front of him with a piercing gaze. No one was around.  _ Good _ . He only had one very specific destination to spend his lunch break on; the library.  _ Food be damned, I'm figuring out what's happening to me today and I'm putting a stop to it.  _

His walk of determination was stopped abruptly, unfortunately for him, before he had reached his destination. 

_ Where exactly do you think you're going? _ " His father's voice was ice. The 'question' was clearly a command. Runaan considered not answering but thought better of it. Challenging his father now would not do him any good, it would only delay him further. 

"To the library." He replied carefully. "You said you wanted me to do better, so I am." Came up the quick excuse. "I thought about researching new fighting techniques during my lunch break." He ended swiftly. 

Runaan's father was not amused. He fixed his son with a look of disbelief. "We have plenty of books on that particular subject at home. What would you waste your time going to the library when you could be actually working on your fighting skills." He questioned, keeping his voice cold and even. 

Runaan froze for a moment too long before he forced his brain to begin working again. "Rahim's orders." He said, wishing his father wouldn't care enough to ask his instructor for confirmation. 

His father's fierce gaze studied him for a moment. Runaan stared back with a cold gaze of his own, challenging him to see through the lie and dreading the consequences of him doing so. In the end, his father just sighed and stepped aside. "Very well," he said, defeated. "But I will not tolerate you being late for our personal training again. Finish your  _ little project  _ and come find me in the backyard."

"Yes, father. "Runaan bowed his head respectfully and waited until his father was out of sight. When he finally saw his long white hair disappearing behind a tree, he dared let out a sigh of relief. He wasted no time after that. He turned and strode straight to the library, picking up his pace as he went. 

The library, also known as 'The Tree of Knowledge', was located on the far side of their small village. The Tree stood tall and mighty among the much smaller houses around it. It was actually the tallest treehouse in the Moonshine, the second being Runaan's own home. It's giant tree branches twisted in all directions, making it seem even more ancient than it actually was, and it was – as always – empty. It's only occupant was the old, Lady Gilda, who managed the library.  _ As ancient as the tree itself,  _ Runaan had heard some kids call her once,  _ and twice as grumpy.  _

Runaan didn't give any base to the rumours though, he himself had visited the library many times – mostly to dig up some old poetry books – and found the old lady pretty endearing. But the Moonshine was more like a compound, where future soldiers, guards, hunters and assassins trained together and then moved on to another village to do their duty. Along with them lived some farmers, bakers, healers and a few craftsmen. The necessary people to properly run a village. Lady Gilda, though, just wanted her peace. So she decided to move there and manage the local library, knowing very well that few people would be interested to visit. Unfortunately for her, Runaan was one of those people. 

"Hello," he said, bowing his head in respect once again –as it was expected to do when in the presence of an elder. 

"Good evening," the woman replied, not looking up from her book, "I'm afraid we're closed for the day."

"But the moon is not up in the sky yet," Runaan accused. He had come all this way from the training grounds, he wasn't about to turn away now. 

The woman's head shot up abruptly. "Oh, It’s  _ you _ again," she said and looked back to her book.  _ 'The Huntress and the Moonsiren',  _ Runaan read, tilting his head slightly. "Well, don't just stand there like a marble statue, you know where the pretty books are."

"I would actually ask for your assistance today, I'm looking for something specific." He said as politely as he could master. The woman let out an exasperated sigh. 

"What now?" She demanded, putting down her cheesy romance book. 

Runaan hesitated. He didn't really know how to bring up the subject without sounding totally crazy. And it wasn't like he could pretend that it had something to do with his studies. "What do you know about telepathic connections?" He went straight to the point. 

Gilda gave him a confused look. “Moon druids used to contact each other through meditation. Is that what you mean?" 

It wasn't what Runaan meant. He already knew about Moon Communication. He always wanted to try it with someone but there wasn't any other Druid Descendant – other than his father – to practice with. No one that he knew at least. He had tried it once, hoping that any Moon Druid out there would pick up and answer him but nothing had happened.  _ Or maybe it did?  _

_ No  _ this  _ is different. It somehow feels like…  _ more.  _ More than just communicating from a distance, he  _ could see what other people saw,  _ for moon's sake!  _

"No, that's not it," he answered. 

Gilda let out another sigh. "Then I don't know what to tell you, boy. There are some books on the subject in the third section, if you want to take a look." Runaan nodded in thanks and she went back to her book. 

_ Here goes nothing,  _ he sighed.  _ I hope I'm not wasting my time.  _

He took a deep, grounding breath, and wandered further into the Tree of Knowledge. 

He looked around for a little bit, opening and then closing books. They mostly referred to the Moon Druids and their 'special connection to the moon'. Runaan already knew about this stuff, he was a Moon Druid himself. Or at least, a descendant of them. But his father always prided himself in his heritage and had made sure his son was equally as interested in this ancient history. The Moon Druid's had disappeared centuries ago, on the Judgment of The Half Moon. When Luna Tenebris had banished humans to the west and the druids were forced to destroy the Moon Nexus and migrate to the East. Not all of them have made the trip – as they had encountered a group of dark mages on their way – and that was why there were so few descendants in Runaan's time. 

He picked out another book and jumped at the unexpected visitor.

"You won't find anything in that one." Ethari's soft voice said. 

"Why not?" Runaan said back, putting the book down. 

"What we are is not exactly written in history books. Our kind was sure to destroy all records." Ethari explained, his voice smooth. 

"And why is that? What are we?" Runaan asked, a little exasperated by the other boy's mysterious words. 

"Different," he said with a warm smile that reached his eyes. Runaan felt like was about to melt. "Follow me," Ethari prompted and turned around. Runaan felt compelled to follow and he did. 

They were suddenly in a different library. This one was build inside a giant iglazebo. He could tell by the shiny silver walls and the abrupt change in temperature. Ethari led him to a desk made of wood, a book was open inside it. The words were written in an Earthblood dialect, but Runaan was surprised that he could read them anyway. He could read and speak several Moonshadow dialects, along with some human ones, but he had never, ever in his life taken a lesson on Earthblood dialects. Ethari, on the other hand, seemed to be fluent in them. 

“My family has earthblood roots,’’ he explained. Runaan nodded, absentmindedly. He picked up the book to examine it. It was old and dusty - and quite heavy, but he would never admit that. He brushed his fingers through the front -to brush away some dust - and read the cover.

“Ethari, this is a children’s book.’’ Runaan sounded disappointed. What information could he possibly find on their situation in a book called ‘Fantasy Stories for Children’.  _ It wasn’t even a creative title! _

“No, it just looks like a book for children. Look harder, Runaan.’’ Ethari instructed. Runaan furrowed his brows, trying to see through the illusion. This book was clearly written by earthbloods. Why would it have Moonshadow illusions on it? What was it even doing in a Moonshadow library?!

The title shifted behind the illusion, letting Runaan see what was hidden under the surface. The actual title of the old book was a simple word. One that Runaan, despite his rich education in linguistics, was not familiar with.

“Sensates,’’ he read slowly, testing the word on his mouth. “What does that mean?’’

Ethari looked at him with enthusiasm, gently taking the book from his hand and opening on a specific page.

“This,’’ he said, the smile not once leaving his face, “will explain everything.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sprinkled some of my own worldbuilding in here that probably isn't even close to canon but since this is an AU and we don't really know that much about Moonshadows I figured it was okay. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [More members of the newborn cluster join Runaan and Ethari. Things finally begin to come together.]

“I don’t understand,’’ Runaan said, putting the book down. He was used to understanding things with the first try. If not, then with the second or the third. He had read that Moon damned page what felt like a thousand times and still couldn’t understand how it was relevant. Or more like, he didn’t  _ want  _ to understand.

Because according to the book; he wasn’t a normal elf. He wasn’t sure if he was an elf at all or an entirely different species. What he was, was called a  _ ‘Sensate’  _ what he, Ethari, Lain and Tiadrin had, was called a  _ ‘cluster’.  _ Sensates were born looking exactly like ordinary elves –no matter the race– but formed a dormant connection to their cluster, since birth. That until they were reborn. Then the connection was suddenly awoken by a Sensate of another cluster. Once that happened, there was no going back; you were forever tied to your cluster, emotionally and mentally. It could even get physical when a member of your cluster was ‘visiting’, even when they weren’t really there.

“Is that what we’re doing now,’’ Runaan asked, “Visiting?’’

“Yeah,” Ethari scratched the back of his neck, his enthusiasm slowing burning itself out. “You can actually do that with members of other clusters, as long as you have formed a connection by looking them in the eyes,’’ Ethari explained.

“And what about feeling. . . things, emotions that aren’t really ours?’’ Runaan asked, sitting down after standing up for far too long.

“That is exclusive to the cluster you are born with. Did you know that we were all born the exact same day?’’ Ethari said, the smile coming back to his face with full force.

“This is ridiculous,’’ Runaan breathed.

“It’s amazing! It means for now on we’ll never be on our own again!’’ 

“Exactly!’’ Runaan exclaimed and immediately lowered his voice. He shot Ethari an apologetic look before continuing, hoping it would ease his hurt expression “I kind of like my privacy, is all. How do we make it stop?’’ 

Ethari’s pained face got worse. Runaan couldn’t get used to him looking that sad. He didn’t want to. He wanted Ethari to be happy again. At that moment, that was the only important thing to him. “We can't,’’ Ethari said, “It’s permanent. We’re bound together for now on.’’

Runaan buried his face in his hands. Ethari put a hand on his back and patted him gently. Runaan wouldn’t usually accept soft comfort from anyone --let alone someone he hardly knew. But there was something so intimate about it, despite it being a fairly awkward gesture. He had an unexplained desire to kiss the other boy. 

He looked up slowly, his cold turquoise eyes locked to Ethari’s warm amber ones. Ethari moved his hand to Runaan’s left cheek, soft --despite being calloused from the work in the forge-- and warm to the touch. It was early spring in the Moonshadow forest but Ethari somehow managed to carry with him the scent of a summer’s breeze, warm and soft and  _ beautiful.  _ They were so close, their lips almost touching. Runaan was sure he was going to do it. His brain had disconnected itself from his body anyway. There was no one to tell him that kissing random boys he had only talked to twice was not acceptable for a future assassin. Ethari managed to get even closer, his breath smelling of cinnamon. Runaan couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Lips now brushing each other Runaan took the final step and–

“Where am I?’’ Lain’s confused voice drew the boys apart at the speed of a Moonstrider. He was looking around with wide, curious eyes that made him look younger than his actual age – fifteen, if what Ethari had said about them being born at the same time was true –.  _ Runaan wanted to murder him.  _ He was sure he was going to do it if it wasn’t for Ethari’s warm smile at the sight of him. 

“Hello, Lain! You won’t believe what we just found out!’’ 

Runaan fell back on his chair, feeling dishevelled and completely undone, as Ethari explained to Lain, and Tiadrin –who showed up just a few seconds after him– what they were and what was happening to them. Runaan was actually glad the other boy’s attention was no longer on him, after what had happened. He was sure his face looked like an overripe moonberry. 

“Wow, that’s awesome, mate!’’ Lain enthusiastic voice must have been heard through all of the Silvergrove and Ethari immediately shushed him.

“It’s ridiculous!’’ Tiadrin exclaimed in a whisper-yell. She was standing up behind Lain’s chair, prying at the old book from his right shoulder, her arms clasped around the chair’s back.

_ That’s exactly what I said!  _ Runaan wanted to yell. He shared a knowing look with Tiadrin, relieved that at least one more member of their so-called ‘cluster’ still had their sense of logic intact. 

“This thing explains everything,’’ Ethari said, referring to the book. Runaan had started to loath that thing. Firstly, because everything written in it was not making any sense. And secondly, because everything written in it was actually happening. 

Runaan  _ desperately  _ wanted –no,  _ needed _ – a break from all of this. 

He was about to bid his goodbyes to his new-found 'best friends' and go jump into a lake to cool down when a hand clapped him on his back from behind. Runaan jumped back immediately, grubbing a sword from his belt and pointing it threateningly at the –generally unfazed– Lady Gilda. 

"Get your pointy toy away from my face, boy." She demanded in a cool tone and Runaan immediately did so, embarrassed. 

"You were standing there staring at the wall for a good hour and a half. Are you okay?" This time she let some genuine concern slip into her voice. Runaan looked around, confused. He was still in the old library, standing between hundreds of books. The Moon was fully up in the sky by then. 

"Yes… Yes, I'm fine," he tried to reassure her. "I was just. . . meditating." He came up with a quick excuse to explain his unexplainable strange behaviour. 

Gilda raised an eyebrow, not buying any of his bullshit. "Meditating? Standing up, in the middle of the library?"

"Yes," Runaan insisted. "This is actually a very good spot. Very. . ." he trailed off searching for the right word "Inspiring." He finished lamely. 

"Uh-huh, " said Gilda in utter disbelief. "Get out of here boy, it’s way past your break time." The woman said and Runaan went cold. 

According to Gilda, he had been standing there for an hour and a half. The Moon was up and his lunch break have been over for at least an hour. Runaan's bones froze with cold realization. He was supposed to be training in the backyard at that time.  _ He had stood his father up.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the moment we were all waiting for! I hope it wasn't too disappointing.  
> Next chapter is probably going to take longer because it just doesn't want to be written.  
> Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been reading and commenting on this fic. I appreciate all of you!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Tiadrin knows that magic is everywhere, but this might be too much. Runaan is very tired.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note, now that the cluster has officially been united and they're past their being reborn period the POVs are going to blend a little with each other.

“Who even are  _ you _ to tell  _ us _ what we do and  _ what we are _ ?!’’ 

Tiadrin didn’t mean to snap at the boy in front of her. Especially since he was staring so broken hearted at the place Runaan had stood just a few seconds ago. 

At her words, Ethari seemed to snap out of his daze. He shook his head to clear it and took a better look at Tiadrin. She raised an eyebrow in response.

“I’m sorry,’’ he said politely, “I don’t believe we have met, I’m Ethari.”

He gave her an encouraging smile that seemed surprisingly genuine and extended a hand. 

“Tiadrin,” she said shortly and shook his hand. “I guess we all have officially been introduced with each other. What _ now _ ?” 

Both she and Lain turned their attention towards Ethari who just shrugged. Tiadrin had to keep herself from snapping at him again. She usually wasn’t  _ that  _ snappish. Not to people who had done nothing to her. But her emotions were all mixed up. She could feel Ethari’s excitement all around her, Lain’s burning gaze burning against her skin and Runaan’s anxiety from somewhere far, far away. She tried to reach him before she could stop herself. She had to admit that his sudden disappearance had made her worry. And the others felt the same too. But it was no use. Wherever Runaan currently was, he clearly didn’t want them to be there. 

He let him go for the moment. She wouldn’t force a connection on anyone --especially someone who felt the same way about the situation as her. Instead, she focused on the people that were with her, both having the same confused expressions on their faces. For a moment, she found it adorable. Then she mentally slapped herself.

“Sooooooo,’’ said Lain in his most obnoxious tone. “What are supposed to do now, sensate-buddies?’’

“The book calls it ‘cluster-mates’,” Ethari explained. Tiadrin had a very good idea of where she wanted to put that book.

“I don’t care what it’s called,” she stated. “Ugh, I hate this”

She felt her surrounding shift at her outburst. They were no longer at a library or even at her own home. They were at Lain’s. 

Tiadrin took a quick look around, annoyed that despite everything she did find ‘space travelling’ fascinating on its own. The others didn’t even acknowledge the change of scenery. 

“Are you and Runaan having a complaining contest or something?’’ Lain demanded. Ethari ears twitched at the mention of the name. “ I thought you’d ought to be the most adaptable than any of us. Isn’t it part of your job?”

“You are literally a fighter too,’’ Tiadrin exclaimed, slamming her hand on a nearby table. “Why are you putting  _ us  _ in the same category!?”

Lain seemed more annoyed than anything. Like he just could not understand why anyone would not want to be suddenly connected to three other people she had never even met up close. Like  _ she  _ was being the irrational one. 

“You’re not irrational, you’re just--” 

“What?!” She demanded but Lain was at a loss for words.

“Guys!’’ Someone yelled. It was Ethari. Ethari who was sweet and kind and genuine and  _ what in the moon’s name was he doing in the same cluster and three emotionally constipated Moonshadow warriors?  _ He should have been the one complaining. Instead, he was trying to appease them. 

“I think I need some time to think about all of this,’’ Triadin managed in her most calm voice. She gave Lain a dirty look, squeezed Ethari on the shoulder and then she made them both vanish. 

  
  


—

  
  


Runaan was bandaging his clearly abused shoulder when his reflection in the mirror shifted to someone else.

It had been too much for that day. Too many things to process. And then there was his father with his furious yelling and his excessively rough training and non-stop ramblings about what makes a good assassin–

It was all just too much for now. He couldn’t handle this too.

“Why are  _ you  _ here?!”

Tiadrin didn’t flinch at his hard tone like most people usually did. She just stared at him through her own mirror, eyes unfocussed and bored. She wasn’t fooling anyone. He could tell that she wasn’t alright the same way he was not alright. The red crescents under her eyes weren’t helping her situation either. 

“I would ask you the same thing but we would only be repeating ourselves then,” she answered. “Are you alright?”

Runaan was taken aback by the question. Why was Tiadrin concerned about him when  _ she _ clearly wasn’t alright? He remembered the first time they met like it was long ago. If you could call two days long ago. They had felt as one then. And he had liked her being there with him,  _ for  _ him. He had accepted comfort that night. And now she was offering it to him again. 

“Are  _ you  _ alright?” He asked instead. Apparently, that wasn’t the right thing to say. Tiadrin detested being coddled just as much as he did. 

“What did I say about repeating ourselves?” she hissed, suddenly furious with him and the world. 

“Sorry,” he murmured and they fell into silence. 

This time it wasn’t a comfortable one. Tiadrin felt the need to break it before Runaan had the chance to fall back into nothingness. “Doesn’t it scare you?” she demanded. “Not being just yourself anymore? Sharing this . . .  _ connection  _ with people you don’t know?!”

She hated to admit it, but she  _ was  _ scared. It wasn’t like she didn’t have friends at home. She wasn’t the most popular but people still respected her and sought out her advice and company. But to share part of her soul with someone? Know the best and worst parts of them and reveal hers in return? 

One moment she was normal, going about her life like everyone else. And the next she was here, staring into eyes that looked so much like her own but weren’t. Feeling strongly about three boys she hardly knew. She wanted to be there for Runaan. And she wanted him to be there for her. She wanted to laugh with Ethari and cuddle away with Lain. Be with them and  _ be  _ them. Understand them and be understood by them. It was terrifying. Overwhelming. 

And it was supposed to be impossible but it  _ wasn't.  _ It was happening and it scared her. 

“An assassin is never scared or overwhelmed,” came Runaan’s voice. “We accept and adapt. Ethari said that there’s no way to change this. What’s the point in fighting it?”

Tiadrin just stared at him. As if that could have somehow made him disappear from sight.It probably could --with enough practise-- but Runaan just stood there. Reciting the same mantra in his head. The one his father had taught him, ingrained in him. What was the point in being scared? Fear could not change circumstances. Actions could. And there was no action that he could take and change this. It was here and it was permanent and  _ was it even that bad?  _

“You’re only saying that because of Ethari,” the girl in front of him accused. “You do realize that that’s narcissistic right? You’re basically in love with yourself.” 

Runaan felt appalled by the notion. Surely it wasn't like  _ that.  _ Maybe Ethari's book answers had a section on romantic relationships within a cluster. 

Runaan left the washing room, too exhausted to stand upright anymore and let himself fall down to his hard mattress. “You know it's not like that," he insisted. "And don’t act like you don’t feel the same about Lain.”

Tiadrin seethed like a Sunfire ready to enter heat being mode. She still didn’t contradict him. 

“I don’t like this either,” he said but he wasn't so sure anymore. 

“You don’t act like it,” Tiadrin said back. 

“Because I’m tired,” he admitted. “We can hate it together tomorrow.”

_ I won’t be here tomorrow,  _ she tried to convince herself. I'll go to sleep and wake up and all of these will be one big nightmare that just dragged on too long. 

“Don’t count on it,” she said aloud and made her way for her own uncomfortable bed. Before her sisters had a chance to return home and see her,face red, arguing with the washroom mirror.

Runaan understood why Tiadrin was opposed to this. They were the same after all. They valued their privacy and liked hiding behind their well-constructed illusions. But the illusions were falling apart on their own when it came to the four of them. And there was nothing to be done about it. Ethari was right,  _ they were connected _ . And maybe it was Ethari talking or maybe he was sleep-deprived, but it wasn’t as awful as he originally thought it to be. 

He wished Tiadrin would feel the same. Tiadrin secretly wished it too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! I finally finished the chapter. I rewrote it 3 times before I ended up with this.  
> Tiadrin is being a little distant now and it's understandable but she'll come around.  
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [The cluster tries to reach out to Tiadrin. Tiadrin doesn't know for how long she can ignore them.]

It had been two days since Tiadrin had learned about Sensates and what that meant for her. What that made her. She wasn't very sure how to feel about it. It wasn't like she could do anything to change it and it wasn’t exactly an intolerable change. She just didn't know how to handle it. And in very unlike 'Tiadrin fashion', she chose to try and avoid the problem, instead of facing it head-on. 

For the last two days, she could feel Lain and Ethari trying to break into her mind, to 'visit' her. But she had stubbornly decided not to acknowledge them –even try to fight them–, convincing herself that if she ignored them long enough they would eventually give up and go away. They did _ not  _ go away. 

Ethari had decided, after the first few attempts to reach her, that giving her some privacy to properly process things would be the best approach. Runaan hadn't even bothered to try, probably had taken the message from their last encounter. 

But if there was one person with such tenacity to much hers; that would be Lain. 

"Hey, T. How are you doing?" Lain's rough voice had managed to reach her while she was doing squats. She didn't acknowledge him until she realized that he was crouching just a feet away from her, doing the exact same thing. 

"What are you doing?" She asked, slightly weirded out. "And haven’t I warned you about using nicknames?!" She said, with a little more scorn. Lain noticed that she had stopped doing the exercise to look down at him with the most resentful look she could muster, but didn't stop. 

"What does it look like I'm doing, cluster-buddy? My morning exercise routine," he said, matter of factly. "And you told me not to call you 'Tia', not to refrain from nicknames all together." At that, he stopped mid squat to smile smugly up at her. Tiadrin was caught up between the urge to kiss him or to punch him in the face. The punching him in the face part slightly more prominent.

"And you decided to do that here?" She asked, fixing him with a cold look before going back to her exercise. She decided not to make a comment about the new 'nickname'. She wasn't planning to talk to him ever again so there was no reason to scold him about it. 

"Where else would I be doing it? This is my house." The moment the words left his mouth Tiadrin was no longer in her city's gym but in what was a house made of wood. Reality had shifted and with it Tiadrin’s patience. 

"Nope! No way!" Tiadrin jumped from where she was crouching and threw herself at Lain. They landed  _ hard.  _ So hard it was possible his back had earned a few new bruises. He tried to roll her off of him but she immediately rolled back. They were back at the gym now. He may be tall and strong build but she was _ stronger.  _ She held him by his shoulders and pinned him down with such force she was sure she gave him a concussion. For a moment, she felt dizzy herself. Lain took that moment to recover and attempted to throw her off again. This time she lost her balance and her hand slipped from his shoulders. She was laying on top of him, balancing herself on her forearms, her feet planted around his waist. 

Time froze, crystallized. 

They stared out each other, noses almost touching. Her first instinct told her to immediately get off of him and put as much distance between herself and the boy as physically possible. But she found herself stuck there, staring. 

"This is.." Lain begun saying.  _ What?  _ _ Uncomfortable? Weird? Unacceptable? " _ Nice.” he finished. 

"Do you usually find being attacked by strangers 'nice'?" She retorted, sarcastically. She moved her hand to a most comfortable position; right on Lain's forearms, pinning them down above his head to immobilize him, although he hadn't shown any indication to move again. Unfortunately for her, that required her to lean over him slightly –damn you height difference–, giving Lain a clear view of her chest. He had the courtesy to avert his gaze and tilt his head up so he was looking at her face. 

"You're not attacking me, not really. And you're not a stranger." The last part sent hot sparks through her entire being. 

"I  _ am  _ attacking you,  _ pretty boy.  _ And I am a stranger, you literally know nothing about me!" 

"I want to though," he said with a tiny smile. "Get to know you, I mean. The bond–" She pinned him down hard. 

" _There is_ _no bond!"_ She yelled with disdain. "Its Shadowpaw–droppings. I'm not a Sensate, I do not have a cluster or whatever this is supposed to be. I'm a normal Moonshadow elf and I never asked for any of this!" She noticed that she was crying and quickly sat up, wiping her eyes. She rolled of Lain and sat on the surprisingly soft wooden floor, her hand on her knees. 

"I know," Lain said, "that this is hard. It’s new, to all of us." Tiadrin just shot him a cold look. 

"You don't seem particularly bothered by the whole situation." She crossed her arms. 

"Yes, but I didn't ask for this either. It just happened and I accepted it." He got up from where he was sitting on the floor. "Its really not that bad, Tiadrin. Can't you see all the amazing stuff that we can do? You're in the Shadowshire, a place you would probably never visit on your own. But here you are, sitting on my floor and at the same time sitting on a gym miles away, in the biggest Moonshadow city!" He gave her an enthusiastic smile and looked around him with curious eyes. She felt the sudden change of temperature as the scenery around them changed. "You can feel the warm wood below you, and at the same time hear the tiny raindrops tapping on the gym’s roof. These things may seem impossible, but they are  _ happening.  _ To  _ us.  _ And the sooner you make peace with that, you'll realize the beauty of it all."

Tiadrin looked down contemplating it. Lain was right. They all were. This was happening. And no matter how hard she ignored it, it wasn't going to go away. The only things she could do was accept it and make the best out of the situation. 

"So, what do you think," Lain said, offering his hand from above, a playful grin on his face, "want me to give you a tour of our humble, wonderful village?"

Tiadrin thought about it. It was her free day anyway; she didn't really have anything else to do.  _ The hell with it, _ she thought. If she was going to spend the rest of her life surrounded by these people she should at least get to know what she’s dealing with. 

She smirked up at him, the movement surprisingly natural, and reached to take his hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. Tiadrin is finally, sorta, coming around (and I finally decided to post hehe).
> 
> For those of you who follow me on Tumblr, the promised picnic scene is going to be in the next chapter and after that, we're getting back to our regular program of 'Runaan and the shit he has to deal with' because I miss writing him.


End file.
